Appalling Conditions Associated with the Boar’s Head Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak

The listeria outbreak arising from Boar’s Head deli meat this past spring has resulted in the deaths of six more people and injuries to more than a dozen more people. Reports are from across 18 states, and it’s suspected that there may be more Boar’s Head injuries and fatalities to come to come. In total, so far, nine people have died, while 57 have needed to be hospitalized as a result of the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called this the largest listeria outbreak since one that affected cantaloupe in 2011, which caused 30 deaths. As we let you know previously this summer, Boar’s Head recalled Strassburger Brand Liverwurst based on listeria concerns. Later the recall was expanded to 3,600 tons of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were sold under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brands. If you suffered injuries due to Boar’s Head deli meats, or a loved one died , you should call the seasoned Chicago-based product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group. Billions have been recovered in lawsuits across the country with which we’ve been involved.

Consult Moll Law Group About Your Boar’s Head Deli Meat Claim

Listeria bacteria survives refrigeration. It can spread around food, hands, surfaces, and equipment used to handle them. Federal officials have urged consumers to check their refrigerators for products, which may have sell-by dates that run into October of this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has disclosed appalling conditions at the factory where the affected meat was produced. Insects, mold, mildew, and standing water, all of which make a hospitable environment for listeria, were found throughout the production facility. The method that Boar’s Head used to control for listeria is considered by some knowledgeable officials as the least reliable.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised consumers not to eat any recalled Boar’s Head products and to look into their refrigerators to make sure they don’t have affected products.  Consumers are advised to look for “EST.12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. Some of the products have sell-by dates that last until October 2024. A listeria infection may cause symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, muscle aches, chills, and fever. When an infection spreads to the nervous system, the result may be headache, convulsions, loss of balance, and a stiff neck.

Injuries or deaths that result from dangerous food products may be the basis for product liability lawsuits. In these lawsuits, our lawyers will need to establish that there was a manufacturing, design or marketing defect that caused the harm suffered. In the case of processed meats that are infected with listeria bacteria, the issue is most likely a manufacturing defect—a flaw in how the meat was processed or stored.

If we are able to establish liability for a defect, we may be able to recover compensation to make up for economic and noneconomic losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, replacement services, out-of-pocket costs, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. For instance, if you needed to be hospitalized due to a severe listeria infection, we may be able to recover the costs of the hospitalization, along with any of the wages you lost due to being in the hospital for a period.

If you were injured or a loved one died due to infected Boar’s Head deli meat, call the seasoned Chicago-based product liability attorneys of Moll Law Group to discuss your legal options. For a free consultation, please complete our online form or call us at 312.462.1700.